Should kids wear shoes? Two mums go head-to-head.

For every mum of every child who kicks their shoes off two seconds after arriving home.

Image courtesy of Kenny Marek Møller/Flickr Creative Commons

It’s been suggested that kids shouldn’t be wearing shoes at all and there’s even medial research behind it.

In an article called Why barefoot is best for children published in The Guardian, John Woodward – a teacher of the ‘Alexander Technique’ that helps improve the posture with minimal effort – says shoes aren’t meant to be worn all day every day.

He says, “We’ve come to regard the way we dwell permanently in shoes as normal and natural. It’s anything but. True, we are no longer hunter-gatherers. True, our urban environments are full of ‘unnatural’ dangers. But we can still learn from our origins – footwear was designed to protect the soles of the feet where necessary, and it was temporary.”

We’ve asked two mums to give us their opinion on whether or not kids should be wearing shoes. Here’s what they had to say.

FOR: It’s about safety.

By Jo Abi

I’ve read about this idea that children shouldn’t wear shoes and I think it’s a bit ridiculous. I’ve been putting shoes on my kids as soon as they started trying to stand up. The ‘Barefoot Brigade’ holds no sway with me.

There are so many reasons why children should wear shoes as soon as possible:

1. The flat base of shoes help them learn to stand and stay standing;

2. Kids enjoy wearing shoes and have fun putting them on;

3. Shoes are made so well these days they don't interfere with the growth of children's feet at all;

4. They protect little feet from sharp objects and broken glass;

5. Children are going to have to wear shoes to certain activities and to school so they may as well get used to them;

6. Little feet need to be protected from bumps, scrapes, insects and most importantly...bindis;

7. Shoes are essential when playing outdoors and assist with grip and protection on play equipment;

8. Shoes protect little feet from other people wearing shoes who accidentally step on their toes;

9. Majority of children wear them, so our kids should wear them too.

AGAINST: Let them be free!

By Lisa Almond

Maybe it's just me but I never rushed to buy my babies shoes, and even when I did they both pulled them off as soon they could anyway. Yes, baby shoes are adorably cute but they are also incredibly useless.

I absolutely support the Barefoot Brigade, I'm off the opinion that anything other than thongs is overkill.

Let's look at the reasons kids shouldn't have to wear shoes:

1. Feet actually develop better without shoes and it allows the child to learn about stability and walking without relying on the shoe for stability.

2. Shoes are restrictive and hurt little toes.

3. It's expensive. If you buy a decent $80 of shoes your kid will either 1. trash them or 2. grow out of them. You can't win.

4. Time. Who has the time to buy shoes (they grow out of the so quickly), find them every day, find a pair of socks and then get your child to put them on. Then when they grow out of them buy more and the cycle starts again. So much time.

5. Sweat and smelly feet - feet that have been in shoes all day get smelly, no matter the child's age. Being barefoot lets your child's feet breathe.

6. Stop the struggle - every single day it is a fight to get the kids to put their shoes on. No shoes = no stress.

7. Let them be kids. Not many kids I know willingly put shoes on each day. They will have so many years of conforming to dress codes later on, let them enjoy the freedom while they can.

8. Because: nature. Feel the grass under your feet or the sand between your toes just can't happen if you wear shoes all the time. They are missing out of these childhood memories.

9. Less washing and no odd socks. No shoes means no socks. No socks means no lost socks. It's genius.

Do you think kids should wear shoes? Do you think there might be something to this whole kids not wearing shoes idea?

Want more? Try:

Sexism and shoes. If you have a daughter you need to read this.

I am OVER peeling urine stained socks off my feet.

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